1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a flare gas burner of the smokeless type which uses steam and air for smoke suppression and utilizes baffling lined with noise absorbing material to reduce noise.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have been many flare gas burners developed which use steam to improve combustion and to suppress smoke. Example of such burners are shown in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,822,984 and in the patent to Zink et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,512,911.
In flares for smokeless burning of waste gas there are two primary sources of noize to consider. The first noise source depends on the combustion of the gas and its burning rate.
The turbulence from mixing the gas with air and steam necessary for smokeless burning produces an increased burning rate with resultant increase of noise. With little mixing the noise level is low, but there is a greater likelihood of smoke due to poor combustion with the result that a compromise is necessary and this may not result in the most complete combustion.
The other primary source of noise is high velocity or jet noise resulting from the flow of steam which is greater when an outer steam ring is used but which is present whenever steam is used for aiding combustion and smoke suppression.
The apparatus heretofore available, being a compromise may not perform satisfactorily in areas which are congested and where noise becomes a factor to be considered from the viewpoint of satisfying neighbors and government noise level codes.
In my prior application for Flare Gas Burner, filed Mar. 14, 1975, Ser. No. 558,283, a burner is disclosed which is effective for operation without smoke and at acceptable levels of noise emission. The present invention involves refinements over the structure there disclosed and is suitable for burning larger quantities of waste gas without smoke and quietly.